Covid-19 vaccine to cost RM600mil for only three million doses under Covax plan, says PM

 

PETALING JAYA: It will cost Malaysia about RM600mil to source some three-million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine under the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) plan, says Tan Sri Muyiddin Yassin.

"We need to pay RM42mil just to join the Covax plan.

"When we become a member, we will be bonded to purchase the vaccines at a cost of RM600mil, which is a large sum of money," the Prime Minister said during a press conference on Tuesday (Oct 13).

Muhyddin said he has agreed to join the Covax plan but had directed Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to negotiate further on the vaccine costs once it becomes available to about 10% of the nation's population.

"Although the cost of the vaccine is still not known, we will be paying about US$22 (RM91) per dose irrespective if it ends up costing US$5 (RM21), US$10 (RM42) or US$20 (RM84).

"This is a very stringent term but if we don't join the plan now, we will be criticised later for not doing so when the vaccine is made available," he said.

However, he noted that joining the Covax plan will not prevent Malaysia from obtaining Covid-19 vaccines from other sources such as China.

Muhyiddin said he was happy at the joint announcement by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that China will give Malaysia the Chinese-produced Covid-19 vaccine when it is made available

He said that China is currently at the end stage of developing a vaccine which is expected to be made available once clinical trials are completed by the year-end. - Star